News

The Supreme Court in the Democratic Republic of Congo has certified the victory of incumbent President Joseph Kabila in October elections. His rival in the second round of voting, former Uganda-backed rebel leader Jean-Pierre Bemba, had mounted a legal challenge to final results, saying there was fraud.

Between 15,000 and 20,000 people have fled the eastern town of Sake in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which was seized from army dissidents by United Nations and government troops on Monday, the commander of the 8th Military Region said.

Human rights groups are protesting what they say is the eviction of street youths from Democratic Republic of Congo's capital, Kinshasa. Hundreds of children and young adults have been rounded up recently, and the adults sent to the province of Katanga a thousand kilometers away. Franz Wild recently visited Kinshasa, and files this report for VOA.

United Nations peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will support the Congolese army if needed in enforcing a 48-hour security ultimatum in the capital to remove forces loyal to the losing candidate in last month's presidential elections, the top UN envoy to the strife-torn country has said.

At least three government soldiers were killed in an attack by dissident militiamen of former general Laurent Nkunda a Sake, 20 km. from Goma said the Armed Forces of the dem. Rep. of Congo (FARDC). There was also an unspecified number of wounded.

At the farewell ceremony on November 23 2006 for the Uruguayan contingent that are now finishing their nine month tour in the DRC, William Swing, the UN Special Representative in the DRC, spoke on the current political situation in the DRC.

Residents of Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, have largely remained indoors and fearful after President Joseph Kabila requested that his rival Jean-Pierre Bemba withdraw some of his personal guards from the city by Friday.

The "uncontrolled" elements of the militia of the defeated presidential candidate Jean-Pierre Bemba, a former rebel leader, must be "neutralized": as stated by Interior Minister Denis Kalume, while President Joseph Kabila - confirmed provisionally after victory in the runoff - gave his rival 48 hours to move his personal guards out of Kinshasa.

The offices of the Supreme Court of the Democratic Republic of Congo, partly damaged by fire, will be relocated to different parts of the capital, Kinshasa, or elsewhere in the country, Vice-President Azarias Ruberwa said on Wednesday after inspecting the facility.